


Self-sufficent

by Annariel



Category: Primeval
Genre: Common Cold, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-26
Updated: 2014-12-26
Packaged: 2018-03-03 16:31:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2857535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annariel/pseuds/Annariel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jess is a little drunk, and has a cold.  Becker gives her a lift home from the bus stop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Self-sufficent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Clea2011](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clea2011/gifts).



> Thanks to fredbassett for beta reading.

"I am independent, intelligence, inspirational and... and..." Jess staggered to a halt with a sniffle and wobbled slightly on her heels. The alcohol, she suspected, might have gone to her head, "and..." she said struggling and failing to think of something else beginning with 'in', so ended up with, "and self-sufficient."

That was the main point. She wobbled a bit further until she reached the bus stop. She sat down in the shelter, which at least acted as a bit of wind break and pulled out a tissue so she could blow her nose.

A swift half with the rest of the team before heading home for Christmas had seemed like a good idea three hours ago but, somewhere between her third and fifth pint, the cold that had been creeping up on her all day had hit in full force. Now her nose was running, she had a headache, and a sore throat that was rapidly working its way up to a full-on chesty cough.

To make matters worse, Becker hadn't come down to the pub (something about reports), which meant everyone had teased her about her crush. It was possible she had over-reacted a bit, but it had been a long week, she was going to be on her own for Christmas with a cold. She had drunk too much, which meant she couldn't actually drive home. She heaved herself up to peer blearily at the bus timetable. She had a half hour wait for the next bus.

"Bloody Becker," she murmured because, clearly, this was all his fault. 

Abby had offered her a lift but Jess had had enough of vaguely humorous pity for one night and had insisted she would catch a bus just fine.

"Because I'm self-sufficient and I don't need a man," she reminded herself.

Jess had a vague feeling that, at some point over the next few days, turning down a lift from Abby in order to demonstrate that she didn't need a man would stop appearing particularly logical.

It started to rain. 

A car pulled up by the curb. That was the last thing she needed. She began to feel in her bag for her pepper spray when the window slid down to reveal Becker.

"Jess, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Catching a bus. It's a bus stop. What does it look like I'm doing here?" She had meant to sound acerbic, but her sore throat seemed to have caught up with her and it just sounded croaky and miserable.

"Are you drunk?"

Oh god, could this get any worse. "I might be a little tipsy," Jess said with dignity.

"Do you want a lift?"

"No, I'm fine, I am independent, intelligent, inspirational and self-sufficient which doesn't alliterate but I'm working on it."

"I don't follow." There was a smile lurking in the corners of Becker's mouth. 

Oh god, oh god, now Becker was laughing at her.

"I said, I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine."

Becker opened the door of the car. He stepped out and walked around to her, feeling her forehead. "I think you've got a temperature."

"It's a cold, that's all, and a few beers. I'll be fine."

"I'm not leaving you like this. Come on, get in the car. I'll drive you home."

Becker pulled gently on her arm and, suddenly, it all felt too difficult to argue. Jess allowed herself to be led around to the passenger side of the car and helped in.

"Where do you live?" Becker asked.

Jess reeled off the address and then leaned back against the headrest. It was really warm in the car. "I would have been fine," she murmured and then promptly fell asleep.

* * *

"Come on, wake up?"

Jess cracked open her eyes to see Becker staring at her in concern. "Where are we?"

"Your place. Are you OK to get up the stairs to your flat?"

"Think so." Jess paused to fumble in her bag and blow her nose again. 

"I can't believe they let you leave on your own in this state. You were in the pub with everyone." Becker was sounding less that pleased.

"It's not really their fault. I told them I'd be OK."

"Why did they believe you? I didn't believe you!"

"Well maybe they believe I _can_ look after myself, that I'm self-sufficient and independent and..." Jess lost the track of the conversation.

"Inspirational and intelligent. Yes, I heard. That doesn't stop them giving you a lift."

"I would actually have been fine on the bus."

"I have no doubt, but you'd have been miserable as well and it was unnecessary."

Jess sighed and struggled out of the car. The lift had really been a lot more pleasant than taking the bus. She stood up and realised, a little to her surprise, that she really was fine. It would take a lot more than a bad cold and few pints to defeat her. She paused to look back in the car at Becker. She had, she suspected, been somewhat churlish.

"Thank you for the lift. It was very kind. Everyone in the pub was teasing me a bit and I'd got riled and wouldn't let them give me a lift. Don't be too hard on them."

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Becker said.

Jess got the sudden impression he was dithering about leaving her on her own. He was probably going to be hard to get rid of and she was getting cold again, standing outside her flat in the rain. Best to bite the bullet really.

"Do you want to come up? I can make myself a Lemsip and you can check I'm OK."

He looked momentarily surprised and then pleased. "Yes, please." As he climbed the stairs behind her he asked, "What were they teasing you about?" 

Oh, oops! "Nothing much," she mumbled.

She pulled out her keys and unlocked her front door.

"It must have been something. It obviously upset you."

Jess kicked off her shoes gratefully as she crossed the threshold and tossed the keys onto a table. The warmth was glorious.

"It will all be better once I've had some Lemsip," she said.

"Don't deflect. What were they teasing you about?"

Becker trailed her into the kitchen where she boiled a kettle and fished some Lemsip sachets out of the cupboards.

"Would you accept it if I said it was none of your business?"

He frowned and looked hurt and surprised. "But everyone else knows what it is?"

Oh god, now she had to cope with his fragile ego on top of everything else. She plonked her elbows on the counter-top and dropped her head into her hands and groaned. "It's embarrassing and personal, OK?"

"But everyone else knows."

The kettle thankfully chose that moment to boil so Jess was able to busy herself with the Lemsip. 

"Do you want a coffee?" she asked.

"Not if it's going to be any trouble."

"There's some instant at the back of the cupboard. You can make it yourself, if you like." She suspected she sounded a little waspish, which was unfair, since he'd driven her home and was checking she was all right, but she really, really didn't want to have the `what were they teasing you about?' conversation with him.

Becker made himself some coffee in silence and then hugged the mug to himself with a woeful expression.

"I thought you liked me," he said.

"Oh god, Becker! Yes I do like you. That's the whole bloody problem!" And then Jess clapped a hand over her mouth. 

Becker's mouth dropped open.

Jess felt herself blushing. "I am never, ever, going to let another drop of alcohol cross my lips," she said. "Go on, you can laugh at me too now with your manly, superior, `Jess can't even catch a bus', eyebrow raising... don't raise your eyebrows like that, it makes you look all supercilious."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to look supercilious. Do you mean to say they were teasing you for liking me?"

"Yes!" Jess shouted.

"Oh! They are always teasing me for liking you, you know."

"You... what? Why didn't you say something?"

"Why didn't you say something?"

Jess started to laugh, but it turned into a cough and then her nose started running again and the next few minutes were a bit confused as Becker removed the Lemsip, patted her on the back, found a tissue and then sat her down on her sofa and gave her the Lemsip back. He sat next to her, shoulder pressed against her own.

"I think we've both been quite foolish," he said calmly.

Jess felt she was still half-hysterical. "You can say. I'd kiss you now only I'll probably infect you with something horrendous."

"I'd like to take the risk," Becker replied.


End file.
